London mayor calls for second Brexit referendum

The mayor of London has called for the British public to be given another vote on whether the United Kingdom should leave the European Union.

Sadiq Khan, one of the Labour Party’s most influential figures, has insisted that there are only two possible outcomes for the UK in its negotiations with the EU - either a bad deal, or the prospect of not reaching a deal.

“After careful consideration, I've decided the people must get a final say. This means a public vote on any deal or a vote on a no-deal, alongside the option of staying in the EU,” Khan wrote in The Observer.

Khan added that he would never thought he would have to call for a second referendum, but, in light of the government’s “abject failure” and the “huge risk we face of a bad deal or a ‘no deal’ Brexit”, giving people another say is “now the right - and only - approach left for our country”.

His remarks are likely to pile pressure on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, ahead of his party’s annual conference next week, with over 100 motions against Brexit having been submitted, including request for new vote on the final deal.